The invention relates to friction clutches.
The invention is concerned with twin-plate clutches, that is clutches which are used with two driven plates, one of which is clamped between a driving member and an intermediate pressure plate and the other of which is clamped between the intermediate pressure plate and a main pressure plate to provide drive to the driven plates, the main pressure plate being loaded resiliently to provide the required clamping force. When assembling such a clutch in its typical position between an engine and a gearbox, it is desirable to have the components thereof pre-assembled into sub-assemblies to simplify the installation.
In the installation of such a clutch in a motor-cycle, it is often necessary to have access to the interior of the driving member, without the encumberance of the driven plates, when first installing the driving member or a large part thereof in the rest of the vehicle. This makes it necessary to start the assembly of the clutch with engine and gearbox with the clutch broken down into components or sub-assemblies allowing the driving member to be mounted and secured in position whilst the driven plates are separate therefrom.
An object of the present invention is to provide a friction clutch which can be installed conveniently.